Forward Janesville - TheReport - Second Quarter 2020

Retail dedicated to hemp products are relatively new and untested in Janesville. How did you decide to open a storefront on Milton Avenue? My family has a long history with Janesville. My mom is from here and my grandfather started the Sizzlin' Grill (closed permanently in 2014) downtown back in the 1950s. In addition to history and tie to the community, we decided to open in Janesville because I couldn't understand how a city of almost seventy thousand people did not have a dedicated CBD store. While there were places that sold CBD, none focused their business on it. Are staff at these stores able to answer specific questions about the products they carry? Do they know the farm that the hemp was grown on or how the products were produced? Not knowing this about a product isn’t necessarily bad, but we felt that it was important that we offer these answers to our customers. Tell us what it’s been like thus far. Each step was a seemingly natural progression from one phase to the next, becoming vertically integrated in the hemp industry. We started planning a hemp grow in late 2018 after several friends had productive grows that year under the new Wisconsin hemp pilot program. Then the farm bill of 2018 passed opening more doors into the hemp industry. Our business plan was always to be a seed-to-bottle company, handling growing, processing, product manufacture, and distribution. We achieved that in 2019 and were wholesaling our products to different stores in Wisconsin and northern Illinois, but felt we were missing the customer interaction side of the business. In December, Mike Moran and I talked about opening a store in Janesville. Mike had also worked on a separate hemp growing operation in 2019 and partnered with a retail hemp store operation for six months. The two of us thought that we could work together to run a store with a “customer first" philosophy that would help educate people about hemp/CBD, taking a consultative approach. How do you achieve your “customer first” philosophy? There is not a one-size-fits-all product in this industry. When you shop with us, we take the time to assess why you want to use CBD, what you want to achieve with it, what products might work for you, and answer any questions. We even have a seating area for longer discussions and an entertainment area for children so parents can take their time when shopping. You might even see one of my kids in the store depending on when you stop in. We also wanted to focus on bringing people Wisconsin products to support the young and growing (no pun intended) industry in our own state. You won't find products from Colorado or Oregon in our store. There isn’t anything wrong with those products but we believe in sourcing locally. Each product in our store is chosen to meet a specific customer need based on quality and value. Let’s talk about the perception that your business is leading-edge a bit… Our business may be considered leading edge by some but it is really a case of something old being made new again. Prior to the Marijuana Tax Act of 1937, hemp was widely grown across America and used in a plethora of products. It was a staple ingredient in every Apothecary in addition to being used for rope, cloth, paper, and as a food source. It is great to be working in this segment but poses the continued challenge of education. We have to differentiate ourselves from the marijuana market, particularly with Illinois having recently gone legal. People ask us why we have hemp flower for sale and if it is legal. It is a completely legal product and has many beneficial uses for overall and general well being. While there is still some stigma about the product and we do have to reeducate from the 80 years of Reefer Madness propaganda that has been pushed, it is a privilege to be part of the movement back to hemp and a natural way of helping the body instead of using synthetic chemicals for everything. A repeat customer telling me how good they feel after using one of our products brightens my day. How has Forward Janesville played a part? Our goal with Forward Janesville is to integrate ourselves with the community. We are local; we stay local. This business is a lifestyle choice for us, not just jumping on a trend to make a few dollars and get out. I feel as hemp becomes better understood, our customer base will grow, and we will be able to partner on more local initiatives. We are excited about doing our ribbon cutting with Forward Janesville. To me, that makes a statement that we are here, and we plan to stay. We also plan on partnering with some food trucks in the future to bring some unique offerings to market. And we are still adding new product offerings in the store. We want to show how easy it can be to incorporate hemp into your life and have something for everyone on our shelves. SECOND QUARTER 2020 • 13 SPOTLIGHT ON NEW BUSINESS What Is It Like to be a First Mover in a New Market Segment? We asked Adam Aberle of Hemp Hut, Inc., to share his story… Fast Facts: Hemp Hut, Inc. • Opened January 16, 2020 Adam Aberle, President • Michael Moran, Operations “I love everything about what I get to do. Growing and processing present their own joys and challenges. I love striving to make a better product or grow a better plant. That side of the business is under a different corporation, Rock Hemp Corp. I love to formulate new products that fit another need people have and to find better ways to make something beneficial.” { {